Cathy Schieffelin at The GDBS

In conversation with local author and GDBS/Bar Epilogue's very own Bill Loehfelm!

Schieffelin’s novel, set in rural Kentucky in the 1950’s, investigates whether love and marriage can survive terrible violence…. The story is told via alternating third-person points of view, which effectively allows the two main players to grow and gain insight; the nuanced narrative balances believable dialogue, deep introspection, and a slow healing process. Concise, readable prose evokes the remote setting and its inhabitants, who live difficult, often precarious lives. – Kirkus Review

ABOUT THE BOOK

In 1950s eastern Kentucky, Eva Hoskins flees her abusive marriage for a new life in the tiny mountain town of Helton, where she’s hired as a medicinal plant guide. When her husband, Luther, tracks her down, she fights to reconcile the love she once felt for her high school sweetheart with the cruel man he became.

His arrival threatens all she gained. He claims to be a changed man and wants her back – but she fights to assert her independence, uncertain of his intentions. Are his promises possible? When Luther reconnects with his brother and mother, opening a door to his past, Eva recognizes the boy she fell in love with. As they grow closer, they face the dark shadows of his childhood. Can love survive violence, or are some wounds too deep?

For fans of Ron Rash and David Joy, Snakeroot and Cohosh is the tale of a young woman who relies on her instincts and wit for survival in a dangerous world of poverty and rural isolation. Set against the rugged beauty of Appalachia, this is a story of courage, resilience and the healing power of community.

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